Orlando Pirates could be relieved that their honour of winning the 2024 MTN8 final is not tainted, after it emerged there is no law that could have disallowed their second goal in retrospect against Stellenbosch FC on Saturday.
The way Pirates won the 2024 edition of the MTN8 appeared to be somewhat muddied, as with the game tied at 1-1,Tshegofatso Mabasa added a second in added time from a controversial incident.
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He was sent through on goal from a quick free-kick taken by Relebohile Mofokeng, with Stellies players resembling statues whilst waiting for the whistle, while the spot-kick was also taken far from where the foul had occurred.
Former referee Victor Hlungwani, on SABC Sport, had explained how the free-kick was not taken in the right place and should have been brought back by the referee, and therefore the goal scored by Mabasa should not have stood.
It has emerged that after referee Abongile Tom allowed for a quick free-kick to be taken, far away from the initial incident, there is no rule that could have made provision for the goal to be disallowed, even if there was a Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
This is according to ex-PSL and FIFA referee Jerome Damon, who explains that a restart is solely at the discretion of the referee.
"Does the law provide for the goal to be chalked off, as some people have been saying? The law does not provide. That is a restart. It's the same with a corner kick, a referee allows for the corner [to be taken] when the ball was not correctly placed inside the corner [lines] or touching the corner outline," Damon said on 947's MSW.
"If a goal results from that, no team can protest. That is a refereeing decision on a restart. Ironically, I also heard people talking about VAR intervention etcetera. In this instance, if we had VAR in this game, then VAR would not be in a position to intervene.
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"Because that is not one of the criteria under which VAR is allowed to intervene. Because the only way it could intervene was if there was a foul or infringement in the APP, which is the attacking position phase. There was no attacking position, this was a restart," Damon added.
The VAR is currently only allowed to be used in four situations and only when there is a clear and obvious error regarding whether or not:
• There was a goal
• Penalty
• Direct red-card (not second yellow)
• A case of mistaken identity (if the referee sends off an incorrect player)